Life is Full of Surprises
by angelofjason4eva
Summary: Summary: Sam’s random stop in Port Charles leads her down a rode that is full of twists, turns, and surprises. Can she find love, and keep it, along the way?
1. Chapter 1

Life is Full of Surprises

This is my first fanfic. I have been reading fanfic for a long time, and I finally decided to try my hand at it. Please review and let me know what you think. Should I continue?

Summary: Sam's random stop in Port Charles leads her down a rode that is full of twists, turns, and surprises. Can she find love, and keep it, along the way?

Disclaimer: I definitely don't own any of the characters.

Chapter 1

The salvage ship coasted roughly towards the docks nestled into the peaceful lights of the city ahead. The wind whipped through her already tousled mass of chocolate colored hair. She sighed as she tugged her leather jacket snugly around her. Her blue wool scarf and gloves were no match for the icy winds that surrounded her.

"Great. It's snowing," the petite brunette said to herself as she rolled her eyes.

She silently prayed that her venture to this frigid port would not take long. She planned to only be there long enough to grab some food and supplies and continue her journey to a warmer climate. She hoped that she could get be back on the sea first thing in the morning.

She made sure that the vessel was secured to the pier before traveling up the dock. It was only 9:00 pm, but she didn't want to imagine how cold it would be in just a few more hours. She decided that a steaming cup of coffee was definitely in order.

As she trudged through the snow, she heard a noise. It was muffled, but she thought that it sounded like a wounded animal. She turned and walked cautiously towards the sound. As she drew closer to the sound, she noticed some dark patches in the snow. Upon closer inspection she deduced that it was blood. Some people might have turned and ran the other way, but Sam McCall, couldn't do that. 'Curiosity killed the cat' meant nothing to her.

Sam finally made her way to a clearing in a park. That is when she saw him. A man was sprawled across the snow in agony. His breathing was very shallow, and he was definitely the source of the crimson snow. Sam raced over to the body.

"Are you okay? Sir? Sir? Hey, okay, I will get some help," Sam said as she fished for her cell phone. She was now kneeling by the man grasping his hand. After she hung up the phone, Sam focused her attention back on the injured man. She ripped her scarf from around her neck and applied pressure to the wound on his left side. She decided that it must be a gunshot wound. She instinctively looked around taking in her surroundings. She saw no sign of the person who might have done this.

She focused her attention back to the wounded stranger. His skin was extremely pale. She studied the man and tried to figure out why someone would want to harm such a nice-looking man. _Looks can be deceiving_, she thought to herself. She knew that firsthand. His eyes fluttered, and he whispered, "Run." The man lost consciousness.

Sam sat dumbfounded by what the man had just said. _Maybe the person who shot him was still nearby. Or maybe he was saying that he tried to run. Or perhaps she should_ _run the hell away!_ Just as her active imagination caught up with her, she heard sirens and footsteps. The paramedics came flying around the corner and ordered her out of the way.

As they loaded him into the ambulance, Sam impulsively climbed in with him. She had to make sure that he was okay. The ambulance sped towards the hospital, and Sam's mind was racing. _What in the hell am I doing? What am I getting myself into this time? But I just have to make sure that he is going to live, then I will get my supplies and sail away from this town._

She heard the paramedics talking about blood loss and vitals dropping. Sam gripped the man's hand and said a silent prayer that he would live.

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I can already tell that I am going to like cliffhangers, lol! So who is the wounded man? Any guesses? Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam sat silently in the waiting room of the hospital grasping the Styrofoam cup of coffee. She was exhausted after the events that unfolded. She stared into the dark liquid as she tried to keep her thoughts from wandering to the mysterious man that she had found in the snow. The doctors said that she probably saved his life. If he hadn't gotten to the hospital when he did, he probably would have died. The police questioned her, but she got the distinct impression that they didn't care whether he lived or died. She told them every last detail of her evening leading up to and after finding him.

_Lorenzo Alcazar._ That was his name according to the police. She had offered to call his wife or whoever his next of kin was and notify them. Officer Murphy had chuckled at that. He had told her that Alcazar, that was how they referred to him, had no living family. They had told her that she should leave and that he was a very dangerous man.

"_Dangerous? I highly doubt that he is very dangerous when he is unconscious in a hospital room!" she had shouted at the officers._

"_Miss McCall, really, you should just go on about your business. Whoever did this to him may not be very happy about some woman saving his life. You are much safer if you forget this night ever happened," the officer named Lucky sincerely had told her._

_Touched by his genuine concern for her safety, Sam softened. Lucky seemed like a very kind person. He was the only one who had seemed to be concerned with Lorenzo's well being. "Lucky, may I call you that? Well, you see Lucky, I don't scare very easy and despite my frail exterior, I am quite capable of taking care of myself," she finished with a defiant look in her eye and a small smile. _Why do men always have to assume that all women are helpless? s_he thought_.

"_Miss McCall-" Lucky began, but Sam interrupted him._

"_Please call me Sam."_

"_Okay, Sam. You need to be aware that Alcazar is in the illegal arms business and is, well simply put, a mobster," Lucky stated very matter-of-factly._

_Sam sighed. _My night just keeps getting better. I saved the life of a mobster. Just wonderful. _She was about to respond when a dark haired nurse approached them. _

"_Hey Lucky. Alcazar made it through surgery and is expected to make a full recovery," the woman stated._

"_Thanks for the update, Liz. Hopefully, Alcazar will tell us who did this to him, but I am sure he won't. By the way, Liz, this is Sam McCall. Sam, Elizabeth Webber-soon to be Spencer," Lucky finished, grinning from ear to ear._

_Sam smiled at Liz, and they shook hands. Liz had a soft demeanor and Sam took a liking to her immediately. The three of them had talked a bit longer before Lucky and Liz both had to get back to work._

Sam was brought back to her surroundings by the sound of frantic voices. She looked over towards the nurses station and saw a tall, thin brunette talking animatedly to a redheaded nurse. Sam wasn't planning to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the best of her.

"Mama, how is he? Mama, don't look at me like that. How is he? I heard that he was shot so you have to tell me. He's not dead is he? Mama, you have to tell me something!" the brunette finished her tirade and waited for a response with her hands on her hips.

"Carly calm down. Lorenzo made it through surgery just fine. He should make a full recovery. How did you know anyway? It is the middle of the night. You could have just called. You should be at home with your husband, you know," the nurse said.

Now Sam was really confused. The police had told her that Lorenzo didn't have any family or a wife, but here is this woman who was near hysterics trying to find out what happened to him. _Maybe she's his mistress, _Sam assumed. Sam leaned a little closer on the edge of the couch to quench her curiosity.

"Courtney called and told me. She heard it on the radio. And do not lecture me about Lorenzo and my husband. Lorenzo is a good man and I just don't want him to die," Carly retorted.

The nurse led Carly to the waiting area that Sam was occupying. "Now Carly, please just sit down. I will go check on Lorenzo. Then you can go home." The nurse turned on her heels and headed down the hall.

Carly glanced at the petite, dark-haired woman that she was sharing the couch with. The woman was clutching a cup of coffee. Her hair was tousled and there was blood covering her white shirt and jeans. She appeared to have had a pretty rough night. Carly didn't particularly care what this girl had been through, but out of worry for Lorenzo, she wanted to ease her mind. She thought that a casual conversation with a stranger might help her do just that. Little did she know, she would regret it.

"Hi, I'm Carly. Well you look like you have had a pretty long night. These waiting rooms can be pretty lonely when you are waiting on someone you care about to live or die, huh?" Carly commented to the stranger.

Sam looked over at Carly and gave her a small smile. "Well, you get right to the point, don't you? I'm Sam by the way," she paused. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard you asking that nurse about Lorenzo Alcazar."

Carly frowned and said, "Why does it matter to you? Lorenzo is a friend of mine. I heard that he had been shot and wanted to make sure he was okay. How do you know Lorenzo?" Carly asked suspiciously.

Sam noted Carly's hurried response and suspicion. This woman was jealous. She seemed to think that Sam was interested in Lorenzo. She almost didn't respond, but decided to tell her anyway. "Well, I just arrived in town tonight and was walking around. I found that man, Lorenzo, in the park. He was lying in the snow covered in blood. I called 911 and they brought us here."

"Why are you still here? It's not like Lorenzo knows you or needs some random girl worrying about him. Unless maybe you're the one who shot him and you're waiting to finish the job," Carly said accusingly. This woman was already getting under her skin, and Carly thought that she should probably just go back to wherever she came from.

Sam had had about enough attitude from this woman. "Listen, Carly, I was just trying to give you some more information, but you seem hell-bent on being a bitch. Where on earth did you come up with this shit? You don't even know me and I am not going to sit here and listen to some guy's mistress accuse me of trying to kill him. You should probably try thanking me because I saved his life!" Sam was just about to continue her tirade when the nurse from earlier arrived. The redheaded nurse touched Sam's shoulder. Sam turned around and stared at her.

"Hi. My name is Bobbie. You are the one who found Alcazar, aren't you?" Bobbie asked. Sam nodded. "He is asking for you. Room 345."

Carly's jaw dropped when she heard this. "Why does he want to see _her_? Did you tell him that I was here? This is unbelievable!" Carly through up her hands in frustration as Sam headed towards the elevators.

Sam rode the elevator to the third floor. She walked down the silent hallway wondering what Lorenzo wanted to see her for when his mistress was here too. She had almost reached his hospital room when she got a strange feeling. Something wasn't right. She stopped and listened. The silence was deafening. Her eyes widened at the sight of a man exiting Lorenzo's room. He was dressed in black jeans, t-shirt, gloves, and leather jacket. His eyes registered surprise when he looked up and saw her. The back of his jacket caught on the doorknob, and that's when she saw it. The gun.

Her mind battled over what to do or say. She was frozen as she stared into his intense blue eyes. Curiosity won out over common sense and she said, "You're the one that shot him, and you're back to finish the job, aren't you?" She took his silence as an affirmation of what she had said. Sam did the only thing she could think of as the man walked towards her. She screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jason glanced across the interrogation table at the beautiful brunette seated before him. Yes, he was absolutely furious with this loud, infuriatingly, impossible creature, but she was still stunning to look at. Even with her hair in disarray and her clothes covered in blood, she had to quite possibly be one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. Her dark eyes were full of mystery, and Jason found himself wanting to find out just what that mystery was. _Where the hell did that come from? She's the reason that I'm handcuffed to this damn table at the PCPD in the first place! _Jason tried to push these thoughts away and focus on the real problem at hand. This woman, Sam McCall or whatever the hell her name is, told the police that he was the one who shot Alcazar, and that he was about to finish the act when she came across him.

Jason almost laughed, if he were a laugher, at the irony of the situation. He would never lie and say that he cared whether Alcazar lived or died. Honestly, he would prefer him dead, but he had sworn to Carly that he would not kill him. He probably would have patted the would-be assassin on the back had they succeeded in ridding the world of another Alcazar. But now, he needed Alcazar alive. After what had occurred earlier that evening at the warehouse, Alcazar was going to play a vital role in his investigation of the new and very present threat that had made its presence known. Jason just hoped that Alcazar would agree to cooperate with him. The truth of the matter was that he had just had an interesting conversation with Alcazar right before Sam McCall had discovered him exiting Alcazar's hospital room. He looked at her again and noticed her staring at him.

Sam could not believe her luck. Here she was just making a pit stop in the town of Port Charles and somehow managed to get herself entangled with the town mob in less than 24 hours, and handcuffed to an interrogation table at that! She turned away from his unnerving gaze and focused her eyes on the metal that was encircling her wrists. _Damn Carly! I cannot believe the nerve of that woman! _Sam's thoughts traveled back to the events that occurred after she had reached Lorenzo's hospital room.

_The sound of her screams echoed throughout the corridor and startled the man that was walking towards her. He had tried to get her to stop hollering, but to no avail. When he reached out to her, Sam's survival instincts kicked in. She had taken him off guard when she had pulled the gun on him. Sam silently gave herself props for always having her gun with her. But with the life she has led, it was a necessity._

"_Don't move, or I swear to God, I will shoot!" Sam angrily, but confidently ordered. Her eyes were trained on him, and she did not hear the throng of people approaching. That was, until Carly started shrieking._

"_I knew it! I knew that you were the one who shot Lorenzo! Somebody call the police! Now you're trying to shoot Jason! Is this about me? Are you trying to hurt the people I care about? Well you had better listen, and listen well. Nobody gets away with hurting my family! Do you hear me? Nobody!" Carly proclaimed as she dialed 911 after realizing that apparently no one else was going to do it._

_Sam looked around her and she noticed that her screams had drawn quite the audience. Patients were peaking out of their hospital rooms in fear. Several doctors and nurses had gathered with Bobbie, Elizabeth, and Carly. Bobbie had raced by her into Lorenzo's room while the rest of the crowd eyed Sam and Jason curiously. Sam took a breath and turned back towards Jason with her gun pointed at his head. "Listen, Carly, I see that you are apparently one of those people that the world revolves around, but as I told you before, I did not shoot Lorenzo! But this guy, on the other hand, might know something about who did! I saw him sneaking out of Lorenzo's room. He probably came back to finish him for good!"_

_Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. Just then Bobbie exited Lorenzo's room and saw a beat red Carly about to lunge at Sam. "Carly! Don't. Lorenzo is sleeping now. The pain medication has taken affect, but he is fine. His vitals are normal. What in the world is going on here?" Bobbie glanced from Sam, who was still aiming her gun at Jason, to Jason, who had an extremely apathetic look on his face, to Carly, who was seething with anger. "Thank God you're here, Lucky," Bobbie said as her nephew and Officer Murphy arrived. _

_Lucky surveyed the situation. Carly was ready to pounce, and Bobbie was trying to diffuse her anger. He hid a smile. His cousin was a Spencer through and through with her hot temper. When she hated someone, she hated with every fiber of her being. Yet when it came to those she loved, she loved with just as much passion and fire. _

_Lucky turned in the opposite direction from his cousin and his eyes widened. He was surprised to see the woman who had saved Lorenzo's life holding Jason at gunpoint with a determined gleam in her eye. "Sam, put the gun down." She started to protest, but Lucky continued, "We're here now. Jason is not going anywhere until we get this all sorted out." Lucky looked at Jason pointedly, and Jason nodded. Sam lowered the gun and looked at Lucky._

"_I think he's the one who shot Lorenzo Alcazar. I found him sneaking out of his room. When he saw me, he came towards me, and I just started screaming, but then he tried to attack me so I pulled my gun on him." Sam looked at Lucky expectantly. "Aren't you going to arrest him for attempted murder?"_

_Carly leapt to Jason's defense, "Lucky, you don't seriously believe this lying snake do you? You know that Jason would never attack a woman. I think that she's the one who shot Lorenzo! I find it awfully convenient that this is her first night in Port Charles, she carries a gun, and she's the one who found Lorenzo! She's probably a hit man for one of his enemies!"_

_Sam laughed disgustedly and looked at Lucky. Lucky looked around the room and decided that he had to do his job no matter what his gut was telling him. He didn't think that Jason was dumb enough to shoot Lorenzo and get caught, nor did he think that he would hurt a woman. But Lucky also didn't believe that Sam could have done what Carly was accusing her of. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about Sam that evoked his trust. He was just about to ask Sam and Jason to voluntarily come down to the PCPD for questioning when Officer Murphy began reading Jason his rights._

"_What are you doing? We have no proof that he did anything?" Lucky asked Officer Murphy._

"_Officer Spencer, I just got off the phone with D.A. Lansing. He gave me strict orders to arrest Mr. Morgan and Ms. McCall and bring them back to the station. Since they were both accused of the shooting and both have firearms in their possession, D.A. Lansing wants to run a ballistics report to see which one of them shot Mr. Alcazar," Officer Murphy stated while he was handcuffing Sam._

This is unbelievable_! Sam thought to herself. The officer was reading Sam her rights like she was a common criminal! _What have I gotten myself into this time? _She glared at a smirking Carly as she was led away by Lucky._

"_Jase, I'll call Sonny, then I will be right down there, okay," Carly called out to Jason. Jason just looked at her with unreadable eyes as he followed Sam._

So here they were, shackled to a table in the PCPD interrogation room waiting for a test to be complete that would or would not prove their innocence. Sam looked over at her "cellmate" with hatred in her eyes. Her thoughts began to race as the reality of the situation sunk in. This man shot Lorenzo, and he probably would come after her now. She should have just walked away. She shouldn't have screamed or pulled a gun on him. And she got him arrested! _Oh shit! I'm probably gonna have to run again._ Just the thought of running for her life again sent chills up and down her spine. Sam shivered and drew her jacket closer to her.

"Why did you accuse me of attacking you?" Jason questioned breaking the silence. He hadn't meant to frighten her when he had reached for her, but he just wanted her to stop screaming. When he first laid eyes on her, his breath hitched in his throat, and just for a moment, time stood still. Then the screaming had begun, breaking the spell.

Sam didn't know what to say so she just looked away. She found herself looking out the interrogation room window. She noticed the D.A. being handed a manila folder. He was flipping through it shaking his head. "You know that that report is going to send you to prison, don't you?"

Jason's blue eyes bore into hers as he asked, "Why are you avoiding my question? I was not going to attack you, and I did not shoot Alcazar!"

"Then what were you doing in his room? And why are you dressed all in black? That seems pretty suspicious to me?"

Jason smirked. "Well, first of all, not your business. Second, I like black." Sam rolled her eyes and noticed a short attractive man in an Italian suit enter the station. He seemed to be yelling at the D.A. and then he burst into the interrogation room.

"Jason, they've got nothing to hold you on. Justus will get you out of here soon." Sonny turned to the dark-haired beauty sharing the room with Jason. "Who the hell are you? Are you the one who accused Jason of shooting that piece of filth, Alcazar?"

"Sonny, Sam just thinks that she knows what she's talking about. She's new in town. Actually, she's the one who found Alcazar bleeding in the snow," Jason replied.

"Excuse me, Jason, is it? I can certainly speak for myself." Sam turned her attention to Sonny. "How dare you barge in here and start ranting at me! You don't even know me! I had never heard of Lorenzo Alcazar or Jason Morgan before tonight. I have no hidden agenda, no reason to lie about this!" Sam leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. She knew that she was rambling, but couldn't seem to stop herself. "All I wanted was to find a cup of coffee, but that was too much to ask for. Instead I found a gunshot victim, called 911, and got accused of shooting him by his damn mistress! To top it all off, I'm stuck in the same room with the real person who tried to kill him! Ugh!"

Both men looked at each other after her spiel had ended. This girl was almost as bad as Carly. She seemed to have a lot of pent up rage. "Woman you need to calm down, and perhaps lay off the coffee." Sonny said with a smile showing off his dimples.

Ric opened the door and looked around the room with frustration. He thought for sure he could nail Morgan to the wall this time. But once again, as usual, he was squeaky clean. He tossed the ballistics report on the table and sighed. "Well, Morgan, looks like you've dodged another bullet, no pun intended. And you Ms. McCall, we have nothing to hold you on. You are both free to go."

Sonny exited the room to go talk to his wife. Carly had just entered the station. She was ready to pitch a fit if they didn't release Jason, but Sonny got to her and filled her in.

Jason and Sam waited in silence for the officers to return to uncuff them. Sam was so confused. She thought for sure that Jason was the one who shot Lorenzo. But the ballistics report proved that he didn't. Should she apologize? Would he even care if she did? As she studied his features, she noticed how blue his eyes were. They were the kind of eyes that you could get lost in forever. In her fear at the hospital, she hadn't even noticed how good-looking he was. He seemed to have a very nice physique. Not that she was interested.

"Jason, I…well, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for…you know…accusing you of shooting Lorenzo," Sam stammered shyly.

Jason met her gaze. "Well, Sam I'm glad that you don't think that I shot him, but I'm still trying to figure out whether you really thought that I was going to attack you? Do you still think that I am going to attack you?" Sam shook her head as the officers came in and removed their handcuffs.

They both exited the room and walked towards Sonny and Carly. Jason stopped, but Sam kept walking right on out of the PCPD. Carly was shaking her head. "Where does she think she's going? They're not really letting that tramp go are they?"

"Carly, she didn't do it. The ballistics report came back and proved that neither of us shot him. Let it go," Jason said defensively and turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Carly asked.

"I'm going to talk to Sam," Jason stated and rushed out of the station leaving a shocked Sonny and Carly staring after him.

Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know.

Holly


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The arctic current of air bombarded Jason as he exited the police station and looked around in search of Sam. He saw her walking hurriedly down the icy sidewalk to his right. There was snow covering the ground on either side of the icy path. _She's going to bust her ass if she doesn't slow down_, he thought to himself. With long strides, he caught up with her in no time.

She seemed lost in thought and didn't hear him approach. She had her black leather jacket hugged tightly to her torso, and her head was bent down. Just as he was about to call out to her, she lost her footing and slipped on the slick ice. Flailing her arms and cursing gravity, Sam tried to regain her balance. "Dammit!" she cried out. She was falling in slow motion and braced herself for the painful impact that she was sure to happen. She was holding her breath when she felt two strong arms encircle her waist.

Sam's eyes traveled up to the face of her knight in shining armor and was shocked to see the same piercing blue eyes from the interrogation room. "Are you stalking me now?" she asked breathlessly. Jason was still holding her tightly around the waist. She could feel the heat from his muscular body, and it was taking over her senses. His concerned baby blues were mesmerizing. She had to get out of his grasp, and quick! Nothing good could come from being this close to him.

Jason had instinctively reached out for her when she began her tumble to the ground. He had wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her close to him. When she had gazed up at him, he saw the surprise register in her eyes. He was falling under her spell as they stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but was actually only seconds. He felt a tingle shoot through his body. Then she had asked if he was stalking her. _This_ _woman was impossible! _

"Thank you is usually the appropriate response when someone catches you to keep you from landing on your ungrateful ass," Jason stated with an annoyed look on his face. He quickly removed her from his grasp and shook his head. She straightened herself and ran her hand through her dark mass of brown hair

"Well, I just assumed that it wasn't a coincidence that you were the one who caught me. You obviously were following me. What can I do for you Jason? I thought that I quite possibly had done enough damage for one night, considering that I got you arrested and shackled to a table for the night, but if there is something else that I can do for you, please, by all means, tell me, and I will do my best to accommodate you," Sam finished as she tilted her head to the side looking at him expectantly.

Jason just stood in awe of the fiery brunette that stood before him. Only Carly could ever go that long without stopping to take a breath! How did he get so lucky to have encountered two of the most stubborn, loud, intolerable women in his life? Carly's temperament was more than one person should have to endure, but he did because she was his best friend. But this woman? He didn't even know her. He folded his arms across his broad chest and said, "You know, I think I preferred the silent treatment."

She eyed him incredulously and then squared her shoulders and faced him head on. "If you don't mind, I'm going to continue on my way, hopefully without anymore distractions, because I am exhausted and in dire need of a long, hot, steamy shower. Goodbye Jason." Sam turned on her heel and began to trudge along the sidewalk. Her pace was quite a bit slower than before in order to avoid any further mishaps.

Jason stood frozen to the icy pavement staring at her curvaceous frame walking away from him. _Hot, steamy shower?_ Her words kept echoing in his head. How did she provoke such strong feelings of disdain in him one moment, and then such strong urges of…well…whatever the hell it was, in the next? He shook himself out of his daze and followed after her. "Sam!"

"What Jason?" Her exhaustion was etched all over her flawless face when she turned slightly to look at him.

"Sam, you're not safe. Whoever tried to kill Alcazar might come after you," Jason didn't know why he even cared what happened to her. He almost decided to let her fend for herself, but then he began to rationalize the situation. _She really did only save a man's life. She didn't know that the town she had stopped in was in the middle of a mob war. It's not her fault. She didn't know what she was getting herself into. _Well, he always tried to protect the innocent so this was just a natural response for him to have towards her. That's all it was.

"Jason, I'll be fine. Nobody knows me here. How would they even know where to find me?"

"These people can find anyone. Where are you staying? Never mind, I am walking you to your hotel," Jason said decisively and began walking in the direction that Sam had been walking moments before.

"Oh, no you don't! How do I know that you're not the one that's after me? Maybe you want to retaliate for me getting you arrested!"

"Sam, that was an honest misunderstanding. Besides, you got arrested too so I figure that makes us even." Jason paused and took a deep breath. "Please don't argue with me on this. There is more going on in this town than you know, and I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire," Jason said sincerely.

"Fine, you can walk me. But I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I've been doing it for years," Sam commented as they began walking towards her destination. She flashed back to 10 years earlier and saw her mother's face. She sadly pushed the image from her mind and glanced at Jason out of the corner of her eye. He was walking right beside her, but she could tell that he was keeping a scrutinizing watch on their surroundings. His chiseled features were a mask of control and confidence.

"Jason, why do you care if people are after me? I mean, it's not like we know each other," Sam questioned, honestly wanting to hear the answer.

They had been walking for about 10 minutes, when Sam had broken the silence with her question. Jason wasn't sure how to respond, but knew that she wouldn't let it go. "Sam, I know that you didn't do anything tonight, but save a man's life. From what you've said, you just randomly stopped in Port Charles for the night. I don't think that you should have to pay with your life for choosing the wrong town to spend the night in, do you?" he answered as best he could. He didn't know her well enough; therefore, he could not divulge his real motives for his concern of her safety. What he said was the truth, just the short version. He left out the important details.

"Do you really think that someone would try to kill me for getting Lorenzo to the hospital? You know, it's not as if I saw who did it or anything." Sam still could not fathom why she would be in danger. The only person she knew of in this town that already wanted to kill her was Carly, and she wasn't too frightened of her.

"You can never be too cautious," Jason said.

Sam instantly looked over at him in surprise. She hadn't heard anyone utter those words in such a long time that it felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "That's what my mom use to say," Sam said quietly. There were tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.

Jason sensed the change in her mood and became curious. "Where does your mom live?"

"She, well, she's on the ocean."

"On the ocean, does that mean she lives on a yacht or something?"

"Mom always loved the sea," Sam finished. She quickly changed the subject. "So who was that guy in the interrogation room?"

"Who? Oh, Sonny. That is Carly's husband. He's my business partner. He and Carly are my family," Jason told her. He glanced over at her. "I gathered that you and Carly didn't exactly hit it off."

"That might be an understatement!" Sam laughed. Her laughter was contagious, and Jason found himself chuckling softly. "Well, I saw her at the nurses station, and she seemed very worried about Lorenzo so I tried to tell her what happened. You know, how I found him in the snow and everything. Next thing I know, she's tossing accusations at me about how I shot him. Can you believe that?"

"Actually, I can. Carly is a very suspicious, but loyal person. She and Alcazar are…friends, I guess, and she gets a little protective over her friends," Jason explained.

"So she's not his mistress?"

"No, and I would probably stop saying that. Luckily, Sonny didn't catch it in the interrogation room, but if he had, man, he would have gone through the roof."

Jason took inventory of their surroundings. They had passed the majority of hotels, businesses, and restaurants and were nearing the docks.

"What hotel are you staying in because I think that we just passed most of them?"

"I'm not staying in a hotel."

"Then where are you staying?" Jason questioned.

"On my salvage boat. Like I said earlier, I just stopped in Port Charles for the night. I had intended to only grab some food and supplies, and then head out in the morning. Seems as though life had other plans for my evening, huh?" Sam explained.

They were drawing near the pier, and Sam pointed her boat out to Jason. To some, it might not seem that impressive, but to Sam it was home. She had spent many years with that vessel, and it was a part of her. Like a friend, it had carried her through some of the toughest moments in her life.

Jason was very alert and his eyes continued to roam the surroundings. They were walking towards her boat, when Jason grabbed her arm. "Sam, something's not right. I can't put my finger on it, but I have a really bad feeling," Jason told her.

"Oh, Jason. Even if someone were after me, there is no way they could know that I was staying on a boat, and for that matter, which boat is mine. I'll be fine," Sam stated firmly and began walking away from him.

Boom!

The explosion sent an angry cloud of smoke into the dark sky. Debris rained down on Jason and Sam with fury. Jason had intuitively jumped on top of Sam to cover her body from harms way. He was stroking her hair with one hand, and she was grasping his other hand tightly. Sam stared at the empty space that her boat had occupied seconds earlier and fought back the urge to cry. If she started crying now, she probably wouldn't stop. _This had been the never-ending night from hell! _She looked up at him. When their eyes met, she whispered, "You were right."

Jason only nodded and stood up. He helped Sam to her feet. Her face was covered in soot. She had a nasty contusion on her forehead as a result of the fall, but other than that she seemed to be unharmed. Jason's arms were littered with cuts and already forming bruises. He silently thanked God that he had insisted on walking her to her boat. They had both been very lucky. He didn't even want to imagine what the end result might have been if he hadn't been there.

"We better get out of here before whoever did this comes back." _If they're not already watching us, Jason thought. _

Sam looked at him with confused eyes and was about to respond when Jason raised his hand to silence her. "Don't even try to fight me on this." Jason sighed before continuing, "You're coming home with me."

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I've got a lot of ideas for this story so I plan to continue and hope that you want to keep reading it.

Holly


	5. Chapter 5

Here is Chapter 5. This chapter kind of took on a life of its own as I started writing it. I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 5

"We better get out of here before whoever did this comes back." _If they're not already watching us, Jason thought. _

Sam looked at him with confused eyes and was about to respond when Jason raised his hand to silence her. "Don't even try to fight me on this." Jason sighed before continuing, "You're coming home with me."

Jason knew that she didn't have anywhere else to go, and remembering his conversation with Alcazar, he had made his decision. Now he only hoped that she would willingly go along with his demand. He ran a hand over his face and met her eyes, trying to gage her reaction.

Alcazar was quite certain that he knew who had shot him and who was blowing up Jason and Sonny's warehouses. The problem was that he would not share any information with Jason until he knew that the woman who had saved him was safe. The deal was simple. Jason made sure that no harm came to her, and in turn, Alcazar would work with Jason and Sonny to bring down the person who was trying to blow their lives apart. He and Jason were definitely enemies, but they did have at least one thing in common: protect the innocent. Alcazar knew that he would be dead if Sam hadn't found him when she did, and he didn't want anything to happen to her due to her selfless act of kindness. Jason had agreed, and he and Alcazar were supposed to speak sometime tomorrow.

Sam's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as her mind registered what he had just said. _Go home with him?_ She studied his face and saw the seriousness etched on his features. _Why would he want me to go home with him?_ Sam could not seem to grasp why this man would want to help her. Obviously he had been right; the people responsible for shooting Alcazar were after her. She figured that he would be happy to be rid of her, but he seemed to be genuinely concerned for her. _Why not? Sam thought to herself. _It's not like she had anywhere else to go. Her home had just been blown to smithereens, along with all of her money and possessions. Besides she was too tired to argue. Not to mention, about at her wits end.

She looked down at her dark jeans that were caked with dried blood. Her once white t-shirt had become a dark shade of crimson. She was a complete mess. Her blue scarf that she had been wearing had long since disappeared after using it to put pressure on Lorenzo's wound. The only positive aspect of her appearance was that her beloved leather jacket was still in tact with only the slight trace of blood on the hem.

"Well, I guess I don't have much choice, do I, Jason? I am so utterly drained that I couldn't argue with you even if I wanted to," Sam said with a hint of fear in her voice. She tried to swallow the lump that was slowly forming in her throat and met his eyes.

Jason, sensing her fear, instantly reached for his cell phone and called Sonny. Though it was in the wee hours of the night, Sonny was expecting his call. Neither of them had slept much since the warehouses started blowing up. At first, they had suspected Alcazar, but after tonight, they concluded that someone was after the three of them. Sonny picked up on the second ring. Jason hung up after quickly filling Sonny in on the explosion and asking him to send someone to get them, he hung up and looked at Sam.

She was shivering in the frigid December air. He took off his own leather jacket and wrapped it around her and led her into the shadows of a nearby building. Jason hoped that whomever Sonny sent for them would hurry. He reached behind and retrieved his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He held it at his side and scanned the pier in search of any threatening presences. Satisfied that they were safe for the time being, Jason noticed how quiet Sam had been.

She seemed to be in a daze, and he assumed that she was probably just trying to come to terms with everything that had taken place throughout the course of the evening. He was surprised that she had not shed even one tear since the explosion. No hysterical crying. Most of the women that he had encountered in his lifetime would have shown far more emotion than this if they had been in Sam's shoes. Once again, he was in awe of her. Her ability to turn off all traces of emotion reminded him of himself. He had seen the flash of fear in her eyes before he had called Sonny, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. Her countenance was a stoic mask now.

Sam could feel his eyes boring into her, and she returned his stare impassively. She knew that he was most likely trying to guess why she had been so quiet. She really didn't have much to say at the moment. What was there to say? She had lost everything that she had worked ten long years for in one fateful moment. What would have happened if she had chosen another town to stop in? What if she hadn't stopped to help a wounded man?

Well, she wouldn't be Sam McCall then. Life had a way of throwing her curves at every opportunity. And she had become a master at dusting herself off and overcoming any obstacle. She was a survivor, and that's exactly what she planned to do this time; survive.

As they stood there staring at each other, the limo pulled up to the curb. Jason led the way to the opened door and they climbed in. The silence between the two continued as they drove to Harbor View Towers, both uncertain of what the next 24 hours would bring.

They entered his penthouse and Jason gave her the tour. He showed her to the guest room where she would be sleeping. Then he showed her to the bathroom where she could shower. After showing her where the towels and washcloths were, Jason left her. He went to his bedroom and found some clothes for Sam to sleep in. He left a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt on the bed in Sam's room. Upon leaving Sam's room, Jason jogged down the steps and went to the door. He told Max to keep an eye on the door and swiftly crossed the hall to Sonny's. Marco was on the door and quietly announced his arrival.

He found Sonny standing over the wet bar pouring himself a drink. He swirled the decanter of dark liquid around as he set it down. "How is she?" Sonny asked.

"You know, I'm not really sure. Quiet, but she seems rational. She didn't go into hysterics or anything. She has been pretty much emotionless since the explosion. Right now, she's taking a shower. Hopefully she'll feel better after that," Jason said.

"I see that you did the noble thing by asking her to stay with you." It wasn't a question, just a statement. Changing the subject slightly, Sonny asked, "Did you get anything out of your visit with Alcazar tonight?"

Jason shook his head. "He definitely knows something, but he wouldn't talk. Not yet anyways."

"What do you mean, not yet?"

Jason took a deep breath and then continued. "Well, I had to make a deal with him." Sonny's features turned dark at the thought of having to make any sort of deal with Alcazar.

"What kind of deal, Jason"

"He said that if I keep the woman who saved his life safe, then he would agree to working with us. I agreed. I figured that it couldn't be that difficult, but I think that Sam's definitely going to be a handful."

Sonny smiled at Jason's last statement. That woman was certainly a spitfire. "So when do you meet with him again?"

"Tomorrow. He wants to see Sam for himself, and then we will talk. He had intended to speak to her tonight about allowing me to protect her, but with the whole getting arrested thing, it didn't work out," Jason finished with a shake of the head.

"Yeah, she really did a number on you tonight." Sonny paused. "Carly doesn't seem too fond of her for some reason. Do you know why?"

"I think that the feeling is mutual. I think that they had a bit of a misunderstanding at the hospital earlier. Hopefully, those two won't cross paths too much."

Sonny agreed. They would have to keep them away from each other. "From what I witnessed of Sam, the fur would absolutely fly between those two!" Sonny patted Jason on the back and told him to go home and get some rest.

In the bathroom, Sam peeled the stiff jeans down her legs and kicked them off. She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the ground. Sam caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and her eyes widened. The cut on her forehead was about two and a half inches long and was caked with dried blood. She grabbed a washcloth that she had laid out and ran it under the faucet. After wringing the excess water from the washcloth, she gently dabbed it on her wound, wiping away the blood. She discarded the bloodied washcloth and stepped into the hot shower that she had longed for all night.

The soothing stream tried its hardest to rid her of all the unpleasantness of her night. It was no use. All the memories flashed before her eyes, and she closed her eyes shut tightly, but they continued. She saw blood imbedded in the pure white snow, and then her mind flashed to those piercing blue eyes that she found in the corridor at the hospital. She could hear her own scream from earlier echoing in her head. She could feel the cool metal of the handcuffs around her wrists. She recalled her shock at the results of the ballistics report. She saw herself slipping on the ice, and she felt his muscular arms encircling her waist. The next image sent chills down her back, in spite of the hot water cascading down her frame. She saw her boat, her home, her safety, blow up before her very eyes, and felt the impact of her body hitting the ground. His body was covering hers, and he had a hand on her head, shielding her from the falling debris. And then she heard him say, "You're coming home with me."

Reliving those events finally took its toll on her. She was trembling. Sam slid down in the shower, pulled her knees to her chest, and sobbed. They were silent sobs that shook her body nonetheless. She didn't want Jason to hear her crying, but she knew she had to get it out. Yes, she sometimes would shed a solitary tear here and there, but no one had ever witnessed her occasional breakdown. She would forbid herself to show such raw emotions to anyone. They would only think that she was weak. And she had learned a long time ago that showing weakness could get you killed.

She allowed herself this good, long cry. Because once she was done, she would not shed another tear over anything that took place tonight. What's done is done.

Once she exited the shower, she wrapped the fluffy beige towel around her petite figure and wrapped another towel around her hair, piling it on top of her head. Gathering up her clothes off the floor, Sam padded over to the door. She peaked out to make sure Jason was nowhere in sight and then headed to the room that he had shown her earlier. She noticed that he had laid out some clothes for her to sleep in. Putting them on, she relished in the fact that she was clean and in clean clothes, although they were a little big on her.

Sam decided to go downstairs and talk to Jason. They hadn't discussed what happens next, and she thought that she might sleep better if she knew what to expect. She reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. No Jason. Realizing that she was thirsty, she headed for the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, Sam shook her head at the contents. Eggs, milk, and a case of beer. _He's obviously single_, she thought while reaching for a beer. Upon opening the beer, she took a long swig of the cold liquid and felt it warm her insides. _Just what I needed._

Entering the living room again, Sam walked over to the pool table. She hadn't played in a while and decided to play while she waited on Jason to get back from wherever he had disappeared to.

Jason Morgan. She was definitely intrigued. He had danger plastered all over him from the moment their eyes had met outside of Lorenzo's hospital room, but she had also experienced another side of him. She recalled his concerned eyes when he was telling her that she was in danger. Then offering her a place to stay. Well, he didn't actually offer; he basically ordered her to stay with him. She could not figure out why he was helping her. What was in it for him? There had to be a reason.

Jason entered his penthouse and was surprised to see Sam holding a beer in one hand and a pool stick in the other. Taking a drink, she met his gaze. Jason nodded at her and shut the door, locking it behind him.

"Where'd you go?" she asked softly.

"To talk to Sonny. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the clothes," she gestured to her attire.

"Not a problem. If you don't mind, I can try to get the blood out of your jeans. I think that I might be able to salvage them, but the white shirt—probably not going to make it," he said with a smile.

He couldn't take his eyes off her. He had never seen any woman look more beautiful in his clothes. The pant legs of his sweats were bunched up at her feet and dragging the ground. And his shirt swallowed her. Her wet hair was hanging over her shoulders, and a strand had fallen forward, framing her face. He cleared his throat and headed for the kitchen for a beer.

She was sitting on the couch with her legs curled under her, when he came out of the kitchen. He assumed that she must want to talk about the next day so he sat at the opposite end of the couch.

"What happens next, Jason? I know that I'm staying here tonight, but I don't plan to spend more than a night or two here," Sam told him.

"Sam, you're staying here as long as it takes for all of this to be over. This is the safest place that you could stay. Please trust me on this," Jason said decisively. He took another swig of beer and looked at her, expecting a monologue on how she could take of herself and what not.

Instead, Sam took the conversation in a different direction. "Who is doing this? Why is someone coming after you, Sonny, and Alcazar? I've gathered that you are all, um…dangerous…men, but I just—"

"Sam, I cannot tell you anything about my business. What I can tell you is that I will protect you. Tomorrow we'll go to the hospital. Alcazar wants to see you, and then he and I have business to discuss." Sam nodded, but kept silent, while absentmindedly peeling the label of the beer bottle. "When you leave the penthouse, you will have two guards at all times. There is no negotiation on this. You have to agree to this or else I can't ensure your safety. I'll call my sister in the morning and get her to bring you some clothes and whatever else you might need. And Sam?"

Jason looked over at her and shook his head. Rather than agree to his terms, she had apparently opted to go to sleep. Jason debated whether to let her sleep on the couch or to take her to her room. He reached over and took the beer from her grasp and set it on the coffee table. Careful not to wake her, he lifted her in his arms and proceeded to carry her up the stairs. He was amazed at how well she seemed to fit in his arms. Like she was made to be in his arms.

_With thoughts like that, you're going to get yourself in trouble. _But he didn't care right now. He was as exhausted as she was. He couldn't seem to control his thoughts anymore than she had been able to.

As he laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, he felt this unexplainable urge to protect her. Of course, he had already agreed to do it because of Alcazar, but this, this was something different. Doing it for Alcazar meant that it was part of his job. She was just a job. But what he had just felt was deeper than that. He stared at her peaceful form, and realized that he had only known her for less than 24 hours, yet she had stirred something deep inside of him.

Jason turned and left her room. He lay in his bed that night and willed himself not to think about her. He said a silent prayer that he would be able to do what he had promised. He prayed that he could keep her safe as sleep overtook him.


End file.
